Health Insurance Translator:

Saturday, February 18th, 2012 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

What does Deductible mean???

What you pay before your plan begins to pay. For example, if your health insurance policy has a $500 deductible, you will have to pay the first $500 of your care before the plan begins to pay a percentage of your expenses. Many plans cover some common services such as office visits with a flat dollar charge that you pay and your deductible does not apply to.

Still have questions?  Call us!

Wondering about the new W2 requirements for health insurance?

Thursday, January 26th, 2012 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Wasn’t there something in the health reform bill about W2 reporting and the value of an employees health insurance?  Yep, there sure was!  Read all about it here:

https://www.aetna.com/health-reform-connection/questions-answers/w2-reporting-requirement.html#3 

Teaching Your Teen to Drive

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

The Mesa County Health Department is offering 2012 Teaching Your Teen to Drive classes. Please contact Brittany Kline at 683-6624 or e-mail teendriving@mesacounty.us to reserve a spot in one of the classes.

For more information copy the following to your URL address bar http://www.health.mesacounty.us/comm/news/2012/2012-01-24-1.pdf

Child Only Health Plan Open Enrollment Is Here!!

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Do you know a child age 6 months to 19 years who needs a  health plan just for them, no grown up on the plan with them?  We can only do this a couple of times a year, and now is the time.  Give me a call!

Actual Cash Value vs Replacement Cost

Friday, January 6th, 2012 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Insurance companies usually use one of two methods to figure how much money they will pay you if you have a covered loss that is less than your coverage limits.  For example if you have a fire that damages part of your house but not all of it, you will only get part of your policy limits.

The most common way to figure the damages is actual cash value, which is the replacement value minus depreciation. For example, if the video camera you bought five years ago is stolen at an amusement park, the amount the insurance company would pay might be fairly close to today’s market value for a five-year-old video camera.  Translation:  Not much.

The second calculation is simply the replacement cost of the lost property with no depreciation, but usually with a maximum value. That means you would be paid whatever it cost to replace your video camera with a comparable model at today’s prices, up to a preset limit. (Translation: New camera of like quality.)  This is less common and unless your policy specifically states it will pay the replacement value, it will only pay actual cash value.  The upside is that it is very easy and inexpensive to add replacement cost coverage to your policy.  If you have not added replacement cost, do it today!!!!

Tom Turkey says “Please Roast Me!!”

Monday, November 21st, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Holy Insurance Claim Bat Man!

Watch this before you deep fry that bird….

http://www.consumerwarningnetwork.com/2009/11/25/fried-turkey-for-thanksgiving-can-be-dangerous/

6 Best- and Worst-For-You Fast Foods

Friday, November 18th, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Eating at what many consider “healthy” fast food restaurants like Subway won’t necessarily keep you as slim as Jared. Cornell University researchers recently stopped 500 diners as they left either Subway or McDonald’s, asking them to estimate how many calories were in their meals. The average McDonald’s patron guessed 876 calories when the real count was 1,093. By comparison, the typical Subway customer estimated 495 calories when the real count was 677—much higher than her guess!

Read the entire article here: http://health.yahoo.net/rodale/PVN/6-best-and-worst-for-you-fast-foods

7 Quick Fixes for Healthier Holidays

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

The holidays are upon us, which makes us think about minutes in a whole different way! Everything at this time of the year is done at a faster pace and in a bigger fashion. We tend to eat more, drink more, fit more parties and activities in, spend more money, sleep less and forget about weight loss. It’s not unusual for most of us to feel time crunched wishing for just a few more minutes (or hours) each day to get things done. And then, as fast as we create the holidays, they disappear!

Read the entire article here: http://health.yahoo.net/rodale/PV/7-quick-fixes-for-healthier-holidays

Colorado Workers’ Compensation Rates to Rise in 2012

Friday, November 4th, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Colorado employers will see an increase in workers’ compensation insurance premiums in 2012.

The Colorado Division of Insurance announced that the “loss costs” component of workers’ compensation premiums will go up 3.7 percent in 2012. The 2012 increase follows an increase of 3.4 percent in 2011 after nearly a decade of decreases in loss cost rates

Read the entire article here: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2011/11/02/222540.htm

Teen ‘Sexting’ Common and Linked to Psychological Woes

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Some Boston parents might be in for a rude awakening: 13 percent of area high school students say they’ve received “sext” messages and one in 10 has either forwarded, sent or posted sexually suggestive, explicit or nude photos or videos of people they know by cellphone or online.

So found a study of more than 23,000 students, with the results scheduled to be presented Wednesday at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Read the entire article here: http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/hsn/teensextingcommonandlinkedtopsychologicalwoes